Status: 15.10.2021 01:59 a.m.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is the official presidential candidate of the French socialists. Born in Spain, she wants to become the country’s first female president.
The French socialists are sending the Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo (62) into the running for the presidential election in April 2022. In a membership decision, Hidalgo clearly prevailed with around three quarters of the votes against the ex-agriculture minister and mayor of Le Mans, Stéphane Le Foll , as party leader Olivier Faure announced late in the evening in Paris.
In a short speech, Hidalgo emphasized that she was concerned with the idea of progress, social justice and the rule of law, as well as the promise of equality. As a woman, she wants to convey the voice of all French women. Another important point she mentioned was environmental protection and the fight against climate change, two issues to which she was already committed as Paris Mayor.
Hidalgo’s approval ratings are low so far
Hidalgo, daughter of a worker and a seamstress, was born in Spain. She has been the mayor of the capital since 2014. In polls for the presidential election, it has an approval rating of around five to seven percent.
President Emmanuel Macron and right-wing populist Marine Le Pen are currently considered promising candidates. In some polls, the extreme right Éric Zemmour is now even ahead of Le Pen, but he has not yet officially declared himself a candidate.
Hidalgo already has contacts with Olaf Scholz
Hidalgo plans to hold its first major campaign event on October 23 in Lille. The local mayor Martine Aubry is her political mentor. Her opponents accuse her of being too cautious so far. In terms of content, she advocates a doubling of the comparatively low teacher’s salary in France and a reduction in the petrol tax. She has already made international contacts in her native Spain and in Germany, where she met SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz.
As the mayor of Paris, Hidalgo has massively expanded cycle paths in recent years, converted parking spaces into street cafes and introduced a speed limit of 30 almost everywhere. She is criticized for showing no consideration for the residents of the Parisian suburbs and for having no connection to the province. In the past few months, Hidalgo has been out and about a lot in the country to dispel allegations that she is not looking outside the Parisian box.